Reviewer Andrea Coventry:
Andrea is a Montessori child - turned educator. An avid reader
and writer, she is published on several websites. Click
Here to find a listing of Andrea's sites where you can find many of her
writing contributions.

Language is Music is not going to guarantee that you memorize
grammatical structures and vocabulary quickly for an upcoming test or
exam. It's not a quick shortcut to make you the star of the
class. It's designed for people who are seriously looking for a
way to become more proficient in their foreign language studies

Language is Music: Over 70 Fun & Easy Tips to Learn
Foreign Languages by Susanna Zaraysky is a beneficial compliment
to any language learning program. In it, Zaraysky provides tips
that she used to assist her through the years while she learned to
speak English, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and
Serbo-Croatian.

She relates the learning of language to that of learning music.
You have to tune your ear to hear the melodies of different languages
in order to recreate them. Pay attention to the tempo, tone and
emphasis within each syllable, just like you would to the notes in a
song. Practice the language daily, just as you would practice
playing an instrument daily. The new language is your
instrument.

Immersion is the best way to learn a new language. Zaraysky
recommends listening to music, watching TV, and viewing films in your
target language. Listen to phrases again and again.
Practice repeating them until you can mimic the intonation and
pronunciation. Make vocabulary lists of new words.
Practice translating. Create flashcards. Listen, watch,
write.

When you start getting comfortable in the new language, try to
converse with others in that language. Ideally, you would look
for someone who is a native speaker in the target language, but any
exchange is beneficial. Perhaps you could help someone learn
English as you learn his language. Practice in person or
online. Zaraysky provides numerous online resources and tips
for local resources, throughout her book.

Make yourself perform daily tasks, such as balancing the
checkbook, by using the target language. The more you make it a
part of you and your routine, the more likely you are to remember it.

Language is Music is not going to guarantee that you memorize
grammatical structures and vocabulary quickly for an upcoming test or
exam. It's not a quick shortcut to make you the star of the
class. It's designed for people who are seriously looking for a
way to become more proficient in their foreign language studies.

Keep in mind that languages come easily to Zaraysky. Some
people are gifted in that regard. Nevertheless, she has had to
work hard to develop fluency and has found these techniques to work a
better than the rote memorization found in traditional foreign
language classes. Applying her techniques as a supplement to
what you are already doing will allow you to use different parts of
your brain and achieve greater success in your foreign language
endeavors.